Stretcher



April 14, 1,942. M. MARTlNsoN' 2,279,694

sTRETcHER Filed March ll, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. MARTINSON STRETCHER April 14, 1942.

FiledlMaICh ll, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Attorney April 14, 1942.l

M. MARTlNsoN STRETCHER Filed March l1, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Imfentor /74 77977 /Vq ril/71rd 1. D Bf A Altarue] Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNI-TED Sr is TENT @orsi-cs g STRETCHYER Martin Martinson, Princeton, Ill., assigner l to June H. Piper, Princeton, Illa .application-March 11, 1941, semi No. 382,836

2 Claims'l to secure the freeedgesftogether from ythe front ends -of the straight ledges* 3 to said notches.

:Extending longitudinally-along the sections `.I and centeredrelative tol the straight edges 3,1on

what constitutes the inner sides of the sections 't I, is ,a strip |53 of duck having its lside edges stitched, as .at I4, 'tor said sections I along lines parallel tto the -edges :3, and its rearl end stitched,

as :at I4', to said sections, the strip I3 forming s together with the sectionsV I an ,elongated pocket Other, and subordinate, objects are also com- Y prehended by my invention, all of which, to-` gether with the precise nature of my improve-` ments, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming partof this speciiication.

In said drawings- Figure l is a viewin plan looking at "the cutside of the stretcher and showing the same in spread-out condition,

,Figure `2 isa view in top plan stretcher closed, n

.Figure 3 .is a viewin'side elevation,

Figure 4 is a detail `View. intransverse section taken on the line 4--4 of '.Figure l and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a detail-'view in longitudinal section taken through the bottom of the stretcher.

Reference being had to the drawings by numerals, the illustrated embodiment of my irn- I3 `having an open ,front end and for a purpose presently iseen. V

A transverseslit I5 is providedin the sections I at 'the frontend ofisaidpocket I3' istadapt'ed tofbefclosed b-y azizipper fastener. designated generally bythe numeral I3. K Aboard I'II of sany suitable light, strong wood is provided for insertion end wise rearwardly into the described :pocket I3"by way of thefslit lI5zto provide a rigid back support ,in the stretcher.

Y showing the proved stretcher comprises, as its basic parts, a

pair of elongated, like sections I, of exible material, preferably heavy, Water-proof duck, and

having substantially straight longitudinal inner side edges 2 overlapped, as at 3, and secured together, as at 4, by stitching, and free outer edges 5 of substantially whale-back contour, whereby said sections are adapted to be folded with their free edges 5 juxtaposed to form an envelope which, generally speaking, is cigar-shaped.

The sections I are provided with front end, edge notches 6 designed, in the folded, or closed, condition of said sections to providel an air inlet opening at the front end of the envelope,

A zipper 'I is stitched, as at 8, along the free edges 5 of the sections I to oney end of the notches 6 for fastening by the usual slide fastener 9, whereby said free edges may be fastened together from the rear ends of said sections to said notches. A similar zipper Ip is stitched, as at II, to said free edges 5 from the other ends of said notches for fastening by a slide fastener I2 Pairs of front and rear tie straps I8 extend from the .side .edgesof the pocket l53, thenfront pair .comprising vchest straps` for "tying a patient down on the board I1, andthe rear pair com-,

prising leg strapsarranged to tie the patients legs ,downvagainst vsaid vboard just vabove the knees. The tie straps I-8are stitched at -theinner endsthereof-between the strip I3 and sectionsjl by'the'beforementioned stitches It. ,Y

As will now be seen, a patient may be secured to the board I3 by the straps I8, or laid untiedl thereon, and the free edges 5 of the sections I secured together either in whole, or in part, about the patient to enclose, or partially enclose, said patient, as may be desiredfor carrying; j-

A pair of front and rear carrying straps I9y of suitable material are stitched along the sides thereof, as at 20, to the outer sides of the sections I to extend transversely of thesame to V within a short distance of the free edges 5 of said sections, the 'ends of said straps being f looped through hand grip rings 2i of suitable material and additionally stitched to said sections I asat 22. A similar pair of carrying straps 23 with end hand grip rings 24 are similarly secured to said sections I intermediate the straps I9, the straps 23 being suitably spaced upon opposite sides of the ltransverse centerofr the sections I for supporting the structure intermediate its ends. The carrying straps I9, 23,

are preferably formed ofV webbing and the hand grip rings 2I, 24 of plastic` or metal.

At suitable points, upon opposite sides of they transverse center of the sections I, a 'pair of and whichv straps 25, similar to straps I9, 23, with end rings 26, are stitched, as at 21, to the outer sides of said sections I in the same manner as straps I9, 23, and a pair of fastening bands 28 with end snap hooks 29 are provided for securing the rings 25 of straps 25 together to additionally secure the sections I in closed envelope forming position.

A pair of front end carrying straps 3U extend forwardly from the front carrying straps I9 along the' outer Sides of sections I with handgrip rings 3| on the front ends thereof for carrying the front end of the stretcher, said straps I3 being secured at their inner ends between the sections I and front end carrying strap I9 by the stitches 2B and stitched as vat 32', 33, to 'said sections I in the same manner as the befre-menticned straps I9. Y

A pair of rear end carrying straps 34 extend rearwardly from the rear end carrying strap I9 tothe rear ends of the sections I, centrally of the latter, with hand grip rings 35 at the rear ends thereof, said straps 34 being secured to said sections I and to the rear strap I9 in a manner siomilar to that describedv with reference to straps 3 As will now be seen, the envelope formed by the sections I, when fastened, together, may be carried at the front and rear ends thereof and at various points along the sides thereof and Whenvclosed may be lowered from a window, or the like, by ropes tied to the end rings 35 or to the side rings 2l, 24. Also, by virtue ofthe various fastening means described, the patient may be so tied and secured tothe board I'I that the stretcher functions as a straight jacket preventing violent patients from injuring themselves.

As best shown in Figure 5, the board II may be transversely split and hinged together at its center, as at 3l, for folding when not in use and to facilitate insertion of the same into the pocket I3',

.Theforegoing will, it is believed, suice to impart a clear understanding of my invention Without further explanation. f

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such'modifications as fall Within the scope of the subjoined claims.

` What I claim is:

1. A stretcher comprising a pair of elongated fabric sections having substantially straight inner side edges stitched together and free outer side edges whereby said sections may be folded with the free edges thereof juxtaposed to enclose a patient therein, said free edges being substantially of whale back contour whereby said sections when folded form an envelope substantially cigar-shaped, means to secure said free edges together comprising a slide fastener, carrying straps having hand grip rings at the ends thereof and stitched to said sections to extend across the same, said straps being spaced apart longitudinally of said sections, a pocket extending along the straight side edges of said sections and having an open end, and a rigid patientsupporting member slidably tting in said pocket,

said pocket being arranged to be enclosed by said sections when folded into envelope form, and said sections having a slit therein extending along the open end of the pocket whereby said member may be slid into the pocket from the outside of the envelope, and a slide fastener for closing said slit. y

2'. A stretcher comprising a pair of elongated fabric sections having substantially straight inner side edges stitched together and free outer side edges whereby said sections may be folded with the free edges thereof juxtaposd to enclose a patient therein, said free edges being substantially of Whale back contour whereby said sections when folded form an envelope substantially cigar-shaped, means to secure said free edges together, carrying straps stitched to said sections to extend across the same, said straps being spaced apart longitudinally of said sections, a pocket'extending along the straight side edges of said sections and having an open end, and a rigid patient-supporting member slidably fitting in said pocket, said pocket being arranged to be enclosed by said sections when folded into envelope form, and said sections having a slit therein extending along the open4 end of the pocket whereby said member may be slid into the pocket from the outside of the envelope, and a slide fastener for closing said slit.

MARTIN MARTINSON. 

